Baseball

We all know how much Curt Schilling stirred up emotions in people, but when it comes down to it, the man was a fantastic pitcher, and belongs in the Hall of Fame.

Let's get it out of the way, shall we? Yes, Curt Schilling was an ass. He said stupid things, stuck his nose where it didn't belong and was a generally annoying person.

I think Ed Wade, Phillies General Manger in the mid-90s and classic Schilling nemesis, said it best: "If he wasnt our horse, he'd be out horse's ass."

ESPN.com reports that Boston Red Sox left fielder Jason Bay refused an initial offer by the team and will dive into the pool of free agency to test the depth of its waters.

If the figures mentioned—$64 million over four years—are indeed what was offered by the front office, Bay and/or his agent may prove to be foolish. Large money is becoming much more difficult to demand with the economy suffering as it is.

If you are looking for an under-the-radar starting pitching prospect with the potential to make an impact in 2010, the Cubs’ Jay Jackson may be your answer. 

While his name may not be well known, at least not yet, the 6′1″, 195 pound, 22 year old reached Triple-A in 2009 and is potentially on the precipice of making an impact.

He seemingly has the arsenal to make his presence felt. He was described by Baseball America as the team’s fourth best prospect.

When a team identifies a weakness in their lineup, whether offensive or defensive, there are three avenues through which the club can attempt to augment their efficiency at that position.

First and most common, the club can look to the free-agent and trade markets to find a suitable upgrade.

Second, they can replace from within, by promoting a highly-touted prospect.

As much as I love baseball and miss the game this time of year, I get by fine this time of year thanks to hot stove mania. I'm always all over the web, checking out rumors, getting a grasp of what's going on.

I'm big on predictions too, seeing where everyone thinks free agents will end up. So I'll make some predictions of my own. Yes, I do realize that if I make 50 predictions, I'll be lucky if ten of them are correct.

Also, before you make any criticisms, keep in mind how difficult this is. Piecing this together, figuring out which players are compatible with which teams is no easy task.

Paul Hagen wrote a story in yesterday's Philadelphia Daily News informing fans to expect a few fireworks in free agency. Hagen tells us that he doesn't think there will be any introductions of any new Phillies anytime soon.

Going into this offseason the Arizona Diamondbacks identified three areas they wanted to address before Spring Training 2010 arrived.

They wanted to find one or possibly two candidates for the starting rotation, a veteran position player that could come off the bench and provide an offensive spark, and they wanted a veteran in the bullpen to anchor the young pitching staff.

The Diamondbacks hoped to fill at least one of these needs through a trade but conceded they would be active in the free agent market, something the team has not been in the past.

The Boston Red Sox are reportedly  interested in four different free agents who are represented by Scott Boras.

Two of them, Matt Holliday and Mike Gonzalez, have been rumored to go to the Red Sox numerous times. The other two, Adrian Beltre and Rick Ankiel, have never before been even thought as potential acquisitions.

Once a cheap team, always a cheap team.

The Florida Marlins have reportedly "reached an impasse ” with ace Josh Johnson regarding a proposed four-year contract extension.

Watching the New York Yankees win the World Series this year made me reflect on the past. My mind wandered to a decade ago and to a specific date, October 27, 1999. A date that represents my all-time greatest sports moment. 

Now, I have been to plenty of playoff games in the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL. I have seen championship boxing matches and I've seen Tiger Woods play the Honda Classic. But nothing can compare to being in the stadium when your favorite team wins a championship. The atmosphere is simply electric.